Monsanto to work with farmers to be carbon neutral

WASHINGTON - Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, said Tuesday it will work with farmers to make its operations carbon neutral by 2021.

In an interview, Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant said the St. Louis company will meet its goal by changing how it operates and working with farmers who use its seeds and other products on millions of acres of farmland around the world. “Farming is an untold story” in global efforts to address climate change, he said.

“This is a really good beginning because it allows agriculture to become potentially a piece of the solution rather than a part of the problem,” Grant said. “It’s easy to declare these things from day one. The proof is in the delivery, but from the work we’ve done so far I’m optimistic.”

Grant said Monsanto would work to eliminate its carbon footprint through its seed production business using breeding, plant biotechnology, conservation tillage and cover cropping systems. The company also has targeted energy improvements and emission reductions in its vehicles and facilities.

For the plan to succeed, the company is depending on help from farmers to help offset its carbon emissions.

Monsanto is developing an incentive program to encourage farmers to use more carbon-neutral crop production methods such as conservation tillage and cover crops – acres of rye, clover and other plantings that reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released while keeping key nutrients trapped in the soil, Grant said.

The incentives would include a financial component but also provide growers with best practices and other data they can use on their farms. Monsanto is working with farmers to see which incentives they would want, and expects to launch the program by 2017.

The announcement comes as global leaders gather in Paris for two weeks of talks to try to finalize a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations wants the conference to produce a legally binding accord that ensures Earth's temperature does not increase more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from preindustrial levels.

“It’s a natural punctuation mark with Paris being here but we didn’t wake up two weeks ago and say, ‘Hey let’s go and set out a goal,’”  Grant said. “The more of this that we spin out in the public, the more you overcome the cynicism and the more you drive the practice. (Hard data) is what is going to drive the interest of farm participation.”

Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group's senior vice president for government affairs, welcomed the pledge. He said cover crops and smarter use of nitrogen could be “big wins” for farmers and for the environment.

“Farmers have the most to lose if we don’t address climate change, but simple changes in how we farm could sequester much more carbon in the soil,” Faber said. “The devil is in the details, but it’s encouraging to see technology providers like Monsanto recognize that climate change is not only an urgent crisis but also an economic opportunity for farmers.”

Several major companies with ties to agriculture have announced efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Estimates suggest the agricultural industry contributes around 10 percent of U.S. emissions.

In August, General Mills announced a goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emission 28 percent by 2025, partly by partnering with suppliers to foster more sustainable agricultural practices. In 2013, Coca-Cola announced it would buy all its agricultural ingredients from sustainable sources by 2020.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.